Why did the Maya have very good dental hygiene?

To avoid cavities, everyone knows that you should avoid sugar, brush your teeth and visit your dentist twice a year. But other techniques, a little older, and perhaps a little more painful, were tried and tested by the Mayans a few thousand years ago.

The ancestor of toothpaste

Forget about the tooth whitening kits or veneers promoted by influencers on Instagram. In Mayan times, they would not have been more credible than today, because this Amerindian civilisation had found very good techniques to have a beautiful smile and to keep perfect dental hygiene.

Researchers analysed eight teeth from three Mayan archaeological sites and discovered that they were filled with a kind of ‘cement’ that allowed precious stones to be fixed inside.

The Maya actually had their teeth drilled, filled with jade, turquoise or even gold and fixed them with a very adhesive paste.

The Maya had impeccable oral health

Archaeologists used to think that the precious stones found in the teeth of the Maya living in the classical period were only ornamental. But this ‘cement’ actually had oral health benefits.

It was composed of pine tar, which has antibacterial properties, and sclareolide, an antibacterial and antifungal plant compound. Scientists have also found traces of essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties in this ancestor of toothpaste.

This paste combined with the precious stones prevented the teeth from becoming infected. Other research had previously uncovered another technique used by this civilisation, which was very strict about dental hygiene: the Maya used to file their teeth and pull them out when they were damaged.

The researchers said the new discovery confirmed ‘the high degree of sophistication of the ancient Maya dental practice’.

This article was translated from Gentside FR.

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